Improvement in pictures



1. a. SPBAGUE".

Pictures.

Patented Nov. I0, 1874.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH B. SPRAGUE, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN PICTURES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 156,679, dated November 10, 1874 application filed March 6, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JosEPH B. SPRAGUE. of Boston, in the county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Pictures, of which the following is a description sufficiently full, clear, and exact to enable any person skilled in the art or science to which my invention appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, in which Figure l is a view of a picture made by my improved process.

My invention relates to that class of pietures known as mosaic or marquetry, and c011- sists in a picture the body of which is formed of birch-bark, mounted on a proper form, and shaded in water-colors, as hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed, by which a novel and very beautiful effect is produced.

The extreme simplicity of my invention renders an elaborate description unnecessary.

I 11 the drawing, A B O are pieces of ordinary birch-bark, (Bctula papyracetu) or thin layers of the same, cut to resemble garments, and mounted or cemented upon the form I), being afterward shaded in watercolors, as desired, the hands, shoes, and face being entirely painted. The figure represented in the drawing is the familiar character of Rip Van Winkle, E being the long gray hair with which he is said to have been adorned after his. famous sleep. To imitate the human hairin character and other pictures of this description, I make use of camels hair or goats hair, white or colored, as the case requires, and cement it to the mount D in the proper position, as shown, which gives a very life-like and striking effect. The outer bark of the birch-tree is composed of a series of thin, paper-like layers of dilferent shades, according to location, interspersed with short radial lines of a strongly contrasting color to the body of the bark,

which renders it peculiarly adapted for the purpose for which I useit, as nearly any shade required can be selected and easily cut into form, thus enabling the artist to imitate birds, animals, and fishes, as well as the human figure, with great facility and exactness.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is A picture the body or principal part of which is composed of pieces of birch-bark, having the natural colors and marks cut and mounted on a form, and shaded or painted, substantially as shown.

JOSEPH B. SPRAGUE. YVitnesses:

G. A. SHAW, Guns. Lnrrs. 

